New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-04
DA PONTE IN NETWORK.
A FEW MORE NOTES ABOUT MOZARTs LII
BRETTIST.

HOW HE LOOKED, ACTED. WAS NAMED AND WAS
BURIED.
The exIgencics Of space in daily newspaper COM
PEELED tho omission Of many interesting things In
connection with The American life and the death OF
Mozarts librettst In the article which appeared In
THE TRIBUNE last sunday. Some OF these can %
set forth now In brief form. There arises naturally
a curiosity TO his personal appearance Tho writer
has two portraits, one an oil painting In the
library of Columbia college, the other steel engraving
put as frontlspiece IN tho "Frottoa per far rdere
Of which mention has been made. In the painting
la Ponte sits at q writing table with pen In his
right hand and tho left ciasplng tho top VI laIs
| book which rests on his knee. The brow Is NOBLE
one, but tho face down to rather pointed ohln
Tho cOuntenanco whole Ia decidedly more
| sanctioned by the original 10 would not have
appeared in Of his books. The latter which was
copied In "Ihe New-York Mirror" TO illustrate an
article Da Ponte's death written BY Samuel Ward,
Is however, I'm better accord with tho descriptions
to DO found in local literature In "od New. losA
| publisher In 1853 Dr. John W. Francis, VINO attended
the old poet his deathbed, speaks OF him as tho
stately nonagonarian whose white LOCKS 80 Frenzy my
ornamented his classical front ana MS gracoih anu
elegant person" Mr.. Tuckerman, who seems uso
to have been acquainted with Ia Ponts, In the article
| published nineteen years ago In "Putnans magazine,
describes him thus AT tho ago OF ninety Lorenzo
Daponte sic, was stu a fnelooking man; he had tho
hcad OF n Roman: his countenance beamed with In,
relIlcenco and vivaclty; his hair was abundant and
fell luxurantly round HIS neck. and his manners COM
blned dignity and urbanity 70 rare degree"
In connection with these descriptions II Is interest
Ing TO read what Kelly (tho Irish singer who sang at
the first performance of "Le Nozze d Figaro" in Prague
and who cacaturod Da Ponte In one OF his own operas
In Vcnnal says I'm his "Reminlscences' my friend
the poet, had a remarkably awkward gait, a habit Oh
throwing himself la he Thought into graoeu at
tltude by putting his stick behind his back and lean
ing on II: ho had also very peculiar dandyish way
with himself and had tho character OF DeinS CON
summaie coxcomb He had also strong lisp anu
a broad Venetian dialect"
Whether pa Ponte took orders or was only a
sefsfyled Abbe Is not clear In the scurrtous italian
pampblet directed against him printed In Lisbon there
Il n sonnet inscribed Eto tho neifable merit OF tho
Jew Lorenzo Dapontc, poet OF the Italian theatre IN
London. who after having been converted to Christi
stale so successfully that he reached the dignity OF
priest: but come to England, would wear no other
Dominus vnblscim. In order To increase the number
Of rasea Tho reply to this pamphlet Which 10
nav be- safely assumed came from Ia iOnte attributes
tho authorship to one Carlo Francesca
II IA curious that in Iongworth's Directory Da
ponte's name was written with two capital letters
until 1891 and that theDceforward Il remained pa
ponter Ia tho italian pauphlctoer ha' III untii ms
death Tuckerman also calls him "Dap0nte inc
French translator Of tho "AeTore' with obvious
stupidity calls him "dAponte'
IA ponte IA has been seen, sometimes spoke OF
blmelf "a "Poet to the Emperor Joseph H." HIS
blographers have almost unanimously accepted tho
statement that he what these words indicate
noel laureate or pocta Cesarlo Of Austria such Is
not the case In a foot-note in tho appendix to the
third volume last edition OF his "Memoro" he correctS
tho error saying that he never was 'gsaiiah poet
but that his tito "Poet to the Imperial theatres"
II IL Is true that three movings are as bad rs n
fire Da Ponies local percgrnations might be cited
a. either proof Of his poverty Investigation
OF the directories of New York discovers tho following
ola. IA
iSOe the Rowery: 1910, No. car Duanest 1919,
no 81 Chapel-st 1920, No. II Jay-st: 1921, No 343
90 Huisonst; s26, 10 BOG Duanest; 1897 and 1928,
No. 800 Greenwich ST.; 1920 TO 1-J5, no. "a. broad'
the numbers were In the vicinity OF Catharine Ianel
I.:6 and 1897 No. - Dcy-st 1893, NO 81 Sprnest'
Snry' Penn The directories Of 1911 and 1898
missing In tho 1row collection and that OF leo'
Il detective.
In spIte Of Da Ponies theatrical protestaton that
bis Inns had never spoken an unruth the was poet
and much given 10 hyperbolel Investigation OF his
career dscloses many things which cannot now be
reconcled with BIS statements ne saa bSen non
manded her to return TO london from New.York IN
February 1902 as he says she ia wa
Ponto Of the poet and professor OF Italian IN the
University Of the cry Of lor SSree
In saying that no born in London In 1900: Iaere
oi an 70 rcconce me stores but the inquiry would lead
into 1elds which might best be avoided
Tho dcath notice In 1.-The Evening POST OF August
"a. 1888 announces the funeral of Da POnte az 10
take place "tomorrow afternoon at O'Clock nom MS
lato yelling house No. OIL sphng-st" AS mae'es
OF fact tho funeral took place In the Cathedral ~
o o'clock Of the day after the ono set In the adVer
usemcnt IL Is probable that tho friends OK the oso
man desiring to show him some honors changed the
first plans Of the family. Tuckerman says. Inc
obseouies of Da Ponte were impressive The f-
neral took place at noon OF the 2Wh OF Auguns.
1888 Allegrf's 'Mserere' was performed over his
remains at tho Cathedral: the pallDearers were MS
co,ntryman MaronceIf tho companion OF teineo
memorable Imprisonment at Spelberg; his OLD frlend
clement c. Moore and eminent citiZens-the lion.
Gullan G. Vcrpianck and Dr Macnevcn on inc cornn
was a laurel wreath, and before 10 on tho way nom
tbs church 10 Gle Roman Cemetery I'm Second ave
Isle Mr. Ward saws simply ito the Roman cemetery :
whittier 10 was borne-foowed by long tram or
mournsrs by tho officiating priests and the atten-
dant physlcan-was carried a banner ana on us piach
ground this inscription:
I Iauremtius Daponte Italia. Natus Iitterarim
ReipubIicr ct Musls. Dilectlssimus. Pariae et con
| ciorum Amanti ssimus Chrfstiane fidei Cutor
| oie Aueusti MDcCOXXXvIII XC Ammo. Etats
| sur Anplexu- Domini. Ascendit
! Numerous suggestions have been received since last
! sunday touching the 20 ssbie place OF burial AS
has already been said the result OF the writer's carei
Inquiries was that the cemetery which received MS
body as that In Eievonth-st. between tlrstaVe'
and Avenue A. All burias from the C,theiral IN lso
except few IN fle chrchyan around me CatheIa
| we're made II. the EcVenth-s1 Cemcssfy. inero